MSDNAA Windows 7 reactivation and PC upgrade

iron2000 · 06 Dec 2011

Been having thoughts of changing the motherboard, CPU, RAM and PSU of my PC.
Will be using the same HDD.

If I change those parts do I need to reactivate Windows?
And as I'm using a MSDNAA copy, can I still reactivate Windows?

What are the official limitations of MSDNAA Windows 7?

Had to ask before I spend money on the hardware.
Don't want to buy the hardware, fail the online reactivation, fail the phone activation then talk to an MS rep telling me I can't activate anymore.

Thanks.

NoelDP · 06 Dec 2011

iron2000 said:

Been having thoughts of changing the motherboard, CPU, RAM and PSU of my PC.
Will be using the same HDD.

.

What you're talking about there is effectively a new computer.
Yes you will need to reactivate.
The problem will come because of the fact that MSDNAA Licenses are Volume Upgrades.
If your old machine came pre-installed then the original License is OEM, and cannot be transferred to a new motherboard.

I'm not sure about the situation once a Volume License comes into play - the waters are rather muddy on this. If your current MSDNAA Key is a KMS one, then it will fail activation, because it relies on the BIOS SLIC table to prove validity of the base license. An MAK Key may work - but may not be legal.

You'd probably be best to talk to a Volume Licensing specialist either at the place you got your MSDNAA from, or MS itself - Microsoft Volume Licensing - Activation Centers - the guys here are usually more knowledgeable than the run-of-the-mill Activation operators, and should be able to give you the detail you need.

stormy13 · 06 Dec 2011

Someone else can confirm, but pretty sure that the license given to students under MSDNAA is retail,

MSDNAA Membership Software and Usage FAQs

Q. What is the difference between the retail and volume license versions of Windows?

A. The volume license version of Windows does not require product activation and should only be used to install the software on departmental lab machines. A single volume license key (VLK) is given to each member department, and the program administrator is responsible for keeping the volume license key safe. It is extremely important that the VLK be kept secure and out of the hands of unauthorized individuals.

The retail versions of Windows are meant to be checked out to students and faculty for installation on their personal machines. Unique product keys may be downloaded from MSDN Subscriber Downloads, and should be provided to each student or faculty member who checks out or downloads Windows XP or newer Windows releases. Keys are distributed in blocks of 25. You may request additional keys via MSDN Subscriber Downloads..

Please do not distribute the volume license versions of software to students. We appreciate your cooperation.

Student Resources

Whether your school department has chosen an Online (downloads-only) subscription or an Online+Media subscription, you are able to obtain free Microsoft software with a license that never expires—even after you graduate!

NoelDP · 06 Dec 2011

Either way the OP needs to talk to the faculty, and/or MS to determine exactly what their licensing stance is.

I know that some MSDNAA Keys are one-shot Keys, which cannot be activated on a new machine, and that others are Volume Keys. It's important to understand exactly what type of Key he has, and the exact terms of the license under which he got it.